This invention relates to an apparatus having a pair of data s transducers for data transfer with a rotating, double sided flexible disk, typically a magnetic disk. More specifically, the invention pertains to improvements concerning a flexure seat supporting one of the data transducers in a gimbal fashion.
In a disk drive for use with a double sided flexible magnetic a disk, the pair of transducers are both mounted on flexure seats for optimum data transfer contact with the disk. Both transducers may be gimps baled, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,602,306 to Noda, or only one of them gimbaled, as taught by U.S. Pat. No. 4,709,285 to Enami et al., both patents being assigned to the assignee of the instant application.
A typical flexure seat for gimbaling a transducer takes the form of a punching of resilient sheet metal. It is formed to include a central portion on which the transducer is seated, an annular intermediate portion surrounding the central portion, and an annular or semiannular outer portion surrounding the intermediate portion. The central portion is joined to the intermediate portion via a first pair of aligned bridge portions, and the intermediate portion to the outer portion via a second pair of aligned bridge portions angularly displaced 90 degrees from the first pair of bridge portions.
Although this known flexure seat configuration is well calculated to accomplish the purposes for which it is intended, it has proved that in some instances, the central portion of the seat is inconveniently more susceptible to oscillation about the first pair of bridge portions than about the second. The central portion of the seat has also proved to be rather easy to suffer undesired vibration by resonance as the disk rotates in sliding contact therewith.
In order to defeat these drawbacks, it has been contemplated to form a pair of bodies or films of damper material in limited regions spanning the spacings between the central and intermediate portions and aligned with the second pair of bridge portions. The most practical way of forming such damper bodies is to coat the damper material, such as silicone elastomer, on the required regions in fluid form and then to cause the coatings to solidify as by exposure to light.
Difficulties have been encountered in thus forming the damper bodies on the gimbal seat of the above conventional design. If applied in amounts required to form layers of desired thickness, the damper material spreads beyond the desired regions before solidifying. However, if the amounts are reduced to confine the material within the required regions, the resulting layers become too thin to perform the purposes for which they are intended.